Mobile Communicators PA Bureau Responds as Crises Unfold Uncovering History FSI’s Arlington Hall state.gov/statemag Boasts Storied Past January 2012 Vibrant Montreal Partnerships Th rive in Hip Canadian City January 2012 Contents Issue Number 563 16 American Citizen Services Soars Consulate in Guadalajara ensures successful Pan Am Games 32 Features 9 Getting Physical Posts honor fallen colleagues 10 Road Show Manila’s ‘America in 3D’ 12 Dhaka Duo Husband to Baghdad, Wife to Kabul 14 Safety Net Protecting Americans in Madagascar 18 Going Global PA Bureau Expands Reach 20 Vibrant Montreal Post of the Month is ‘hip’ 9 14 26 Building Bridges Office promotes global engagement 30 Forum at Fifty Magazine connects English teachers 31 Guiding Hand More employees turn to mentors 32 FSI’s Secrets Arlington Hall housed codebreakers Columns 2 Post One 3 HR Notes & Letters 4 In the News 8 Diversity Notes 34 In Brief 18 38 Appointments 40 Safety Scene 41 Obituaries 42 Education and Training On the Cover A woman celebrates during a musical 43 Lying in State performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Creative Commons photo by 44 End State Austin H. Kapfumvuti Post One Keeping Resolutions Editor-in-Chief Isaac D. Pacheco /// [email protected] While it may just look like another blank square on the calendar, the beginning of a new Deputy Editor year brings with it many opportunities to start Ed Warner /// [email protected] fresh. This notion often inspires people to make earnest, but ill informed resolutions that they Writer/Editor later end up failing to keep. In fact, surveys Bill Palmer /// [email protected] over the years have shown that fewer than eight percent of those who make New Year’s resolutions Art Director will actually keep them, with nearly half failing David L. Johnston /// [email protected] before the end of January. Contacting Us redundancy when producing online, paper State Magazine At face value, these figures are a little 301 4th Street SW, Room 348 depressing. They suggest that perhaps we and mobile versions of the publication. This includes developing layouts that display Washington DC 20547 don’t have as much say in determining our [email protected] own destiny as we would like to believe. correctly on paper, computer monitors and handheld device screens. We have also reorga- Phone: (202) 203-7115 However, such a simplistic conclusion Fax: (202) 203-7142 ignores the resolution that State Department nized several of our columns so readers can find employees successfully keep every day, if our content in a more intuitive manner. Background Our In the News column will still provide unconsciously. Every time they work to State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165) is published advance democracy; every time they promote readers with a comprehensive take on news monthly, except bimonthly in July and August, peace in a nation embroiled in conflict; every items from around the Department, but we by the U.S. Department of State, 2201 C St., time they stand up for human rights, they are have also added an in Brief column to provide N.W., Washington, D.C. Periodicals postage keeping their resolution. a quick digest of similarly noteworthy issues, paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional Our lead In the News story recognizes this just in summary form. Our new End State mailing locations. section serves as a photographic guide to some phenomenon in the work being accomplished Change of Address at U.S. Embassy Tunis (pg. 4). Embassy Tunis of the amazing locations featured in each issue. Send changes of addresses to our staff using the staff have embodied the Department’s mission It provides additional facts about the societies and cultures of the nations where Department contact information above. Please include your statement, working with Tunisians to ensure previous mailing address. free and transparent elections in the wake of employees serve. the country’s citizen-led push for democracy. Readers may be surprised to learn that our Subscriptions much-beloved cartoon actually has a title. They provide a perfect case-in-point for how State Magazine is available by paid subscription Department employees are keeping their Artist Brian Aggeler calls his quirky take on through the U.S. Government Printing Office resolution to “create a more secure, democratic, Department life Lying in State. His latest comic by telephone at (202) 512-1800 or on the Web and prosperous world for the benefit of creation is on page 43. Also, if you’re viewing at bookstore.gpo.gov. the American people and the international this issue online, be sure to check out the community.” multimedia features in several of our stories Submissions Other stories in this issue show that the and columns. The magazine staff worked For details on submitting articles to State successes in Tunisia are mirrored at U.S. posts with the Bureau of International Information Magazine, request our guidelines by e-mail at [email protected] or download them around the globe. From U.S. Embassy Manila Programs to incorporate videos about two recently appointed ambassadors into our from state.gov/statemag. State Magazine does using innovative communications tools to not purchase freelance material. connect with local communities (pg. 10), to updated Appointments section (pg. 38). staff members at the U.S. Consulate General We will include similar multimedia features Deadlines in future editions as part of a continuing effort in Guadalajara coordinating security efforts The submission deadline for the March 2012 for the recent Pan American Games (pg. 16), to provide added value through the online issue is January 16. The deadline for the to U.S. Embassy Antananarivo’s outreach publication. We look forward to hearing your April issue is February 15. programs that ensure the safety of visiting feedback as we work to improve State Magazine, Americans (pg. 14), Department employees the Department’s flagship publication. State Magazine is published by the Bureau of continually demonstrate their commitment to Human Resources at the U.S. Department of keep their shared resolution. State. It is intended for information only and As you may have noticed from this issue’s is not authority for official action. Views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of cover, State Magazine has also made a few the Department of State. The editorial team resolutions for 2012. Our team is diligently Happy New Year’s, reserves the right to select and edit all working to increase quality and reduce Isaac D. Pacheco materials for publication. 2 State Magazine January 2012 Letters NASA and State HR Notes: Th ank you for the engaging article on the ties between NASA and State in the Help Your Staff Develop Their Skills July-August issue. Th e article missed one close tie, namely that an astronaut was once on full-time duty with State. There are many ways that we, as leaders, Lee Morin, my son, was seconded by NASA and served as deputy assistant are called upon to help our staff s. We provide secretary for Health, Space and Science in the Bureau of Oceans, Environment encouragement, coaching, support, training and, and Science in 2004-05. He is still with NASA and looks back on his year at when appropriate, decision-making. Another State as a gratifying and enjoyable experience. way we help is by providing honest, constructive feedback. Winston Churchill said, Laurent “Lonnie” Morin “I am always ready to learn, although I do not Retired Foreign Service offi cer always like being taught.” The same is true for Charlotte, N.C. most of us, but that doesn’t take away the need Consular Kudos to develop our people by helping them further Since my 33-year Foreign Service career concentrated in consular aff airs, their strengths and counter their weaknesses. I take pleasure in anything consular seen in State Magazine’s pages. In the Our performance evaluation system is October issue I was delighted with the letter from Tony Weir commending designed to do just that. In a few short months the consular staff at the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb. I will wager that the consular we will be writing Employee Evaluation Reports offi cers there endeavor to provide similar excellence in everything they do, and on most of our Foreign Service colleagues. If that they are probably surprised when they are thanked so publicly. Too often you supervise Foreign Service employees, you good consular service goes unrecognized. should think now about the messages you will I also noted the herculean eff orts of the nonimmigrant visa staff in São want to communicate. Paulo to keep up with mounting demand. I only hope that their eff orts to keep beating past records in daily issuances do not eclipse the need for As part of our performance evaluation vigilance in applying immigration law, one of our nation’s barriers against process we are obliged to counsel our staff those who would do us harm. members at least twice every year, and write Robert W. “Bill” Maule up at least one of those counseling sessions Retired Foreign Service offi cer on the appropriate form. By now most of our Poulsbo, Wash. managers have already completed at least one of those counseling sessions, but for those who UK, Not England have not yet written up a counseling session, In the Foreign Service we need to be culturally sensitive, so I was disappointed the next few weeks are an excellent time to do to see that in State Magazine (November) you made reference to “England’s so. Schedule at least a 30-minute, one-on-one royal newlyweds.” Our Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland contacts would be review session with each of your staff members, dismayed.